REVIEW: Lofgren, Van Zandt do E Street proud on new albums

Monday

Nils Lofgren, "Blue With Lou" and Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, "Summer of Sorcery"

What are the chances of both guitarists from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band releasing solo albums within a week of each other? Chalk it up to a happy accident -- and while Nils Lofgren's and Stevie Van Zandt's new albums couldn't really be more different, "happy" is a good word for how they're bound to be received by their longtime fans (and any lucky newcomers).

In Lofgren's case, his current release “Blue With Lou” features six songwriting collaborations with the late Lou Reed. Yes, they make an odd couple, but the added bite that comes from Reed’s influence is actually a refreshing change of pace for Lofgren. It’s a kick to hear Nils’ reedy-yet-angelic croon spitting out Reed-style bile, and the collaborations are definitely among the album’s strongest tracks.

It starts right out of the gate on the driving and irresistible opener “Attitude City,” and the acerbic “Give” may be the polar opposite of Lofgren’s usually more-humane takes on life, love and charity. But it turns out in small doses, the darkness suits him.

Lofgren fleshes out the album with newly written material, and while the title track -- a tribute to his one-time collaborator -- is mostly lyrical mumbo jumbo buoyed by Nils’ crunchy blues guitar licks, the rest are full of his traditional heart and spirit.

It goes without saying that his guitar work is typically stellar throughout, and complemented beautifully by no fewer than 14 backup vocalists -- most notably the gospel wonder Cindy Mizelle, who on tracks like “Rock or Not” could give Merry Clayton on “Gimme Shelter” a run for her money, and the foursome of Kenny Miller, Josef Curtis, Jason Raetz and Toby Kidd, who bring a sort of Jordanaires charm to songs like “Talk Through The Tears,” another mellower collab with Reed.

Overall, “Blue With Lou” has everything we love about Nils -- beautiful vocals, breathtaking guitar work and earthy lyrics -- along with a few surprises thanks to Reed's ghostly presence.

Stevie, meanwhile, takes a decidedly different tack. "Summer of Sorcery" is almost a straight-ahead party album -- what else could it be with tracks like "Party Mambo!" and the horn-driven Sam Cooke-style "Soul Power Twist"?

In contrast to Van Zandt's 1980s albums, this one is basically apolitical, although he does get a few topical zingers into the album's supercharged and irresistible first single, "Superfly Terraplane." Instead, it's an opportunity for him to take another walk down the memory lane of his favorite styles, from girl-group pop to Byrds-ian rock to 1970s funk. "Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, but what's so wrong with that?" he sings on the looking-for-love blue-eyed soul travelogue "Love Again," and it could be the album's motto.

The great thing about Stevie's work on "Summer of Sorcery" is how full-throttle it is in its embrace of those classic sounds, even more so than 2017's collection of older compositions, "Soulfire." The swirling "Vortex," which could be the theme song to a "Shaft" sequel, is a prime example, employing sirens, explosions, relentless horns and strings and a flute solo worthy of Ron Burgundy.

The title track, meanwhile, is an epic strummer awash in sweeping imagery of new love and hope for a never-ending summer, "as if time was not the enemy." It certainly doesn't sound like time has been tough on Van Zandt, even if the ballads -- notably the slow-burning "Suddenly You" -- could benefit from a more supple vocalist. (Stevie acquits himself better on the sha-la-la-riffic girl-group tribute "A World of Our Own, which is much better suited to his crinkly doo-wop croon.)

What "Summer of Sorcery" displays overall, though, is that Stevie -- like Lofgren -- has plenty of creativity left in the tank, and even more importantly, soul.

Peter Chianca is news director for Wicked Local North of Boston and author of "Glory Days: Springsteen's Greatest Albums." Read full reviews of both albums at Blogness on the Edge of Town (northofboston.wickedlocal.com/springsteen).

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